Door operating device



Nov. 29, 1938. c. A. ELLIS DOOR OPERATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ham/'01:

(Fm/[e5 .71. E712;

Nov. 29, 1938. c. A. ELLIS 2,138,521

DOOR OPERATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 3, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 29, 1938 PATENT OFFICE DOOR OPERATING DEVICE Charles A. Ellis, Natick, Mass, assignor of fiftyone one-hundredths to Charles E. Marshall,

Hopkinton, Mass.

Application October 3, 1935, Serial No. 43,376

Claims.

The present invention relates to a door operating device and particularly to an electrically actuated device by which a door may be automatically opened and closed.

In prior devices of this character the incorporation of an electrically actuated door operating mechanism has necessitated that the door in opening and closing pass through a predetermined cycle, that is to say, that from a closed position the door must open to its full extent and then return to a completely closed position. No arrangement is provided for leaving the door in full open position, nor is there any arrangement by which the swinging movement of the door may be reversed before the door is completely open or by which the door may be reopened before being completely closed. One of the principal objects of the invention is to avoid the above noted objections in a device which incorporates the advantages of automatic opening and closing of a door, and the invention involves the provision of an electrically actuated door closer incorporating the features above referred to in a compact structure.

Where a door is actuated directly from an electric motor there is no time interval between the opening and closing movements of the door. Although there is no objection to this arrangement in certain installations, it is frequently desirable to have the door remain open for a short period of time before being automatically closed. A further object of the invention is to provide for a time delay between the opening and the closing of the door.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision for opening and closing the door entirely automatically by a suitable mechanism which can be controlled from a point remote from the door. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. '7 is a wiring diagram.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a detail.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the device I of the invention is shown to be mounted on a door 2 supported by hinges 3 on a door frame 4. The shaft 5 of the device is connected through a pair of links 3 and l to a bracket 8 on the door frame 4. Turning movement of the shaft 5 will procure a swinging movement of the door for opening and closing said door.

Referring now to Fig, 2, the device of the invention comprises a frame consisting of a bottom plate It and a top plate Ill, these plates being held in spaced relation to each other by vertical bars H suitably secured to the plates. A casing I 2 for the device may be provided in order to conceal the mechanism therein and to protect the mechanism from dust, said casing fitting over the frame and having a dust proof opening IS in the top thereof for the shaft 5. A suitable bracket, not shown, is secured to the frame to support the device on the door.

The bottom plate ID has a cup I4 positioned therein to provide a bearing for the lower end of the shaft 5, the latter having a recess l5 to receive a ball [6 which engages with the upper surface of the cup I4, eliminating, to the greatest extent possible, friction between the shaft 5 and the bearing. A bearing ring l1 supports the lower end of the shaft 5 substantially centrally of the cup i4 and forms a radial bearing for the lower end of the shaft. The upper end of the shaft 5 extends through an opening in the plate [0' and is supported in predetermined relation thereto by a suitable anti-friction bearing I8.

Extending between opposite side bars I I of the frame is a bracket l9, Figs. 2 and 6, which supports a driving. motor with the driven shaft 2! thereof positioned parallel to the shaft 5. The shaft 2| is preferably driven through a reduction gearing incorporated in a part of the motor housing. A small gear 22 onthe upper end of the shaft 2| engages with a large gear 23 journalled on a sleeve 24 axially slidable on the shaft 5. Clutch disks 25 and 26 engage with opposite surfaces of the gear 23 to provide a releasable connection between the gear 23 and the shaft 5. The clutch disk 26 is secured against turning movement and also against axial movement on a sleeve 24' secured against axial movement on the shaft 5. The clutch disk 25 beneath the gear 23 is carried by a sleeve 21 axially slidable on the shaft 5 but'secured against turning movement thereon. A coil spring 28 surrounding the shaft 5 between the sleeve 27 and a collar 29, urges the disk 25 into engagement with the face of the gear 23 and accordingly urges, said gear into engagement with the disk 26 to provide for a rotation of the shaft 5 in response to operation of the motor 29. The pressure of the spring 28 is sufficient to provide, normally, for a positive drive of the shaft 5 from the motor.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the shaft 5 has secured thereto a sleeve 38 to which is secured one of a pair of disks 3| and 32 which areadjustable relative toeach other. The disks have alined slots 33 and 34 respectively, through which extends a bolt 35 by which the-plates may be clamped in adjusted position. The peripheries of the disks 3| and 32 forma continuous arcuate cam surface 38 which engages with the depending end of a pivotally mounted link 3'5. The link is mounted on a screw 38 carried by a. plug 39secured to the plate l and said link carries. an adjustable screw 40 engageable with the switch button M of a switch 42. The switch button ti,

when depressed, closes a circuit through the driving motorv 20 for actuating the door. Notches 43 and 44 at opposite ends of the disks 3! and 32 respectively, allow the button 4| to be released by the link 3'! when the door is in closed'position or in extreme open position. A coil spring 45 holds the link 31 against the periphery of. the cam plates 31 and 32 at all times.

Referringnow to Fig. '7, the motor 21!, which, in the construction shown, has two fields windings for procuring a rotation of the motor shaft in opposite directions, has one terminal of the armature connected directly to one of the supply leads 46. The other terminal of the armature is connected through one field winding 4'! to a switch 48, hereinafter more fully described, and through a reversing switch 49, to the other supply lead 50. The switch 12 is positioned between the power supply and the reversing switch as and when open cuts oif the supply of power to the driving motor, the door then being held by said motor against swinging movement. The switch 42 is open when the door is fully closed or in wide open position, so that door may remain in either of these positions.

The switch 42 is bypassed by a normally open switch 51 which may be located at a point remote from the door to provide for opening of the door from a distant point. Closure of the switch completes a circuit through the motor for actuation of said motor independently of the cam controlled switch 42. The switch 5| may be actuated mechanically for completely automatic opening and closing of the door by any desired mechanism, such as a light'responsive element or photoelectric cell operating through a relay, or in certain cases, a sound responsive means including a vacuum tube and a relay actuated thereby.

It will be understood that the switch 5! may be omitted and in this event the door is started from its normally closed position manually. As the door begins to open, the switch 42 is closed as a result of the swinging movement of the arm 65 to close the circuit through the driving motor so that the door is moved the rest of the way to its normal open position automatically by the device. The switch 42 is thus closed by a manual swinging of the door independently of the motor opera tion. 7

The reversing switch 49 makes contact with a terminal 52 in the lead 53 from said switch through the switch 48 to the motor, or with a terminal 54 which is connected by'a lead 55 through a time-controlled switch 56 to the second field winding 5? for the motor. The opposite terminal of the field winding connects to the side of the armature to which the field Q? is connected. Thus with the switch 49 engaging the terminal 52 the motor is rotated in a direction to open the door; reversal of the switches when the door is in its normal open position closes a circuit through the opposite field 5'! for rotation of the motor in a direction to close the door.

For automatic reversal of the switch es, each of the disks 3! and 32, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, carries on the underside thereof a depending finger 58 (see also Fig. 2), which is normally held in the vertical position shown, being mounted for a swinging movement about a pin se to permit said finger to resiliently engage upstanding lugs 60 carried by a plate M. The latter is guided by screws 62 which engage in slots. 53' in said plate, the screws being mounted on studs 64 on the bottom plates it].

As the door swings into closed position, involv ing a counterclockwise turning movement of the arm 6, Fig. 1, the finger 53 carried by the underneath plate 34 engages with the right hand lug 69 and urges the plate iii into the right hand position of Fig. i. Said plate has a notch 65 therein engaging with the upwardly extending end 6G of an arm '5'? pivoted on a stud 58 carried by the plate it. While the end of the arm engages the notch 65 the switch -iis held in a posi-- tion for directing the power supply through the motor for procuring a rotation of said motor in a direction for opening the door. In the position of the disks 3! and 32 in Fig. 4, the door being fully closed, the switch 42 is in open position and the driving motor is at rest. When the manually controlled switch 5! is closed, the switch 42 being open, the power supply is directed through the motor in such a direction as to open the door. When the door reaches normal open position the depending finger 58 on the plate 32 engages the left hand lug 6i], Fig. 4, thereby reversing the switch 49 to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor and cause the door to close automatically.

In order that the direction of movement of the door may be reversed at any time during the opening movement thereof, the device of the in vention incorporates the automatically actuated reversing switch it. best shown in 3, for reversing the direction of rotation of the motor in response to a quick manual movement of the door in one direction. Referring to Fig. 3, the vertically extending side bars l i support a plate 59 in vertical position adjacent to the shaft 5. Said plate provides a support for the switch 48 carries a pin on which is pivoted a lever H. The depending end of said lever has a relatively large weight 12 attached thereto and the upper end of said lever has an adjustable screw .13 engageable with the button M of the switch 48. The lever 'H is normally held in the position of Fig. 3 by a spring '55, one end of which engages. selectively in one of several open ngs in the plate 69 for a varying tension on the lever. In this position of the lever the weight i2 engages with an adjustable screw Ti carried in a lug '58 secured to the plate 69. 0n the other side of the weight 12 a lug 19 provides a support for an adjustable screw 8! the end of said screw being normally spaced a short distance away from the weight. The underside of the weight has a detent iii 8| engageable with a latch 82 pivoted on a pin 83 provided by the plate 69. When the door is given a quick movement clockwise toward closed position, Fig. 1, the inertia of the weight 72 causes the lever H to swing to the left, Fig. 3, about the pivot 10, bringing the weight into engagement with the screw 88, in which position the latch 82 engages the detent 8! to retain the weight against said screw. When the lever 69 is in this position the switch 48 is shifted to reverse the direction of rotation of the driving motor thereby procuring a reversal of the movement of the door, regardless of the position thereof.

The latch is released by the swinging movement of the door into closed position to allow the lever H to resume its normal position by a lug 84 on the plate 3|, which engages with the face end of the lever H, the latter having a cam surface 36 for cooperation with the lug. This lug is positioned to engage the latch II when the door is fully closed. As shown in Fig. '7, the switch 48 is normally closed to complete a circuit through the field winding 47. When the lever H swings to the left the circuit through the winding 4'! is broken and the winding 5'! is energized.

In order that the door may remain in open position for a short time before being closed, the time-controlled switch 56 is located in series with the motor. This switch, as best shown in Fig. '7, comprises a heating element 81 which surrounds a bi-metallic bar 88, adapted to change its shape as a result of the heat from the heating element 81. When the bar 88 is heated a predetermined amount it closes a circuit through the driving motor for actuating the latter to return the door to close position. The heating element Bl is connected by the lead 55 to the terminals 56 of the switch 49 and by a lead 89 to the supply 46. Thus when the switch 49 is shifted as the door reaches open position a circuit through said coil is completed. The bar 88 is connected by a lead 98 to the field winding 57, and in response to heat. is bent into engagement with a contact 9| connected to the lead 55, thereby completing a circuit through the motor for closing the door.

When the door is to remain open for a long period, there is a provision for automatically cutting off the supply of power to the motor when the door is open. During the normal swinging movement of the door the disk 32 does not move far enough relative to the arm 31 to allow the notch M to engage with said arm. When. the door reaches full open position however, a slight further manual opening movement allows the notch 44 to engage with the arm 31, thereby releasing the switch 4-2 and opening the circuit through the motor. The door is then held in open position with the motor acting as a brake against the door moving toward closed position. The door may be closed at any time by a short manual swinging of the door toward closed position far enough to bring the arm 3'! out of engagement with the notch 44, or by closure of the switch 5!.

The device may be so arranged that upon the outbreak of fire the first opening of the door will cause said door to swing into full open position and remain there. To this end a plurality of switches 92 are positioned in parallel with the reversing switch 69. being connected by leads 9% and 94 to the lead 55! between the switches 42 and 49, and to the lead 53 respectively. The switches 92 are normally open and are automatically closed when the temperathre thereof reaches a predetermined point. This type of switch is well known and ordinarily incorporates the familiar fusible link which normally holds the switch in open position but allows said switch to close when said fusible link melts as a result of a temperature rise. The switches 92 may alternatively be automatically closed upon the opening of any one of the sprinklers in a sprinkler system in the building in which the device of the invention. is positioned. The mechanism by which this would be procured is well known and need not be described. When this feature is incorporated in the invention the door closing device operates in the manner above described so long as the switches 92 are open. When the switches 92, or any of them, are closed, no immediate operation of the device occurs. However, when the door is next opened it continues to open beyond the normal open position as a result of any one of the switches 92 being closed until the door reaches its extreme open position, at which time the switch 42 is released by the cam 36 and opens the circuit through the driving motor so that the door re-- mains in full open position. A fuse @5 may be incorporated in the main circuit through the motor to protect the device after a until the switches 92 can be re-set in open position.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides for electrical opening and closing of the door through a relatively simple mechanism, which, at the same time permits the door to remain open a predetermined length of time before closing. The invention also provides a structure by which the door when only partly opened may be again closed without first opening wide or, the door, when closing, may be reversed so that the door will be swung again to full open position before completely closing. The invention also incorporates a relatively simple arrangement for actuation of the door, t ereby permitting the device to be of relatively small size and light in weight.

I claim:

1. In an electrical door actuating device, a driving motor, a driven member actuated thereby for moving a door, an automatically operating clutch member to provide for swinging movement of the driven member independently of the driving motor when the torque on the driving motor exceeds a predetermined amount, means responsive to swinging movement of said driven member for reversing the direction of movement thereof when the door reaches normal open position, and inertia controlled means independent of said first means for reversing the swinging movement of the door in any position thereof by a slight mane ual swinging movement of said door, said swinging movement being possible by reason of the automatically operating clutch.

2. In an electrical door actuating device, a driving motor, a driven member actuated thereby for opening and closing a door, an automatically operating clutch member to provide for swinging movement of the driven member independently of the driving motor when the torque on the driving motor exceeds a predetermined amount, means controlled by the position of said driven member for maintaining a circuit through the -motor closed during the swinging movement of the door, means operative at the normal open position of the door for automatically reversing the direction of movement of the driven member, and means responsive to the manual movement of the door beyond the normal open position for opening the circuit through said motor, whereby said door may remain in open position.

3. In an electrical door actuating device, a driving motor, a driven member arranged to be connected to a door for swinging movement of the latter in response to operation of the driving motor, a clutch member to provide for swinging movement of the door independently of the driving motor, and means responsive to a slight manual swinging movement of the door in a direction opposite to the normal direction of movement of the door by the driving motor for automatically reversing the direction of movement of said motor for moving said door in the opposite direction.

4. In an electrical door actuating device, a driving motor, a driven member arranged to be connected to a door for swinging movement of the latter in response to operation of the driving motor, a clutch member to provide for swinging movement of the door independently of the driving motor, and means responsive to a slight manual swinging movement of the door in a direction opposite to the normal direction of movement of the door by the driving motor for automatically reversing the direction of rotation of the driving motor.

5. In a door actuating device for swinging a door relative to the door frame thereof, said device being positioned on one of said parts, said device comprising a driving motor, a driven member adapted to be connected to the other of said parts and operating through movement thereof for opening and closing said door, means independent of the motor operation and responsive to a slight turning movement of said member as the door is manually moved out of closed position for closing a circuit through the driving motor, means operative at the normal open position of the door for automatically reversing the direction of movement of the driven member, and means for opening said circuit when the door is manually moved beyond the normal open position.

6. In a door actuating device for swinging a door relative to the door frame thereof, said device being positioned on one of said parts, said device comprising a driving motor, a driven member adapted to be connected to the other of said parts and operating through movement thereof for opening and closing said door, means independent of the motor operation and responsive to a slight turning movement of said member as the door is manually moved out of closed position for closing a circuit through the driving motor, a reversing mechanism actuated in response to movement of the driven member for reversing the direction of movement of the driven member when the door reaches normal open position, and means responsive to a manual movement of the door beyond normal open position for breaking the circuit through the driving motor.

'7. In a door actuating device for swinging a door relative to the door frame thereof, said device being positioned on one of said parts, said device comprising a driving motor, a driven member adapted to be connected to the other of said parts and operating through movement thereof for opening and closing said door, means operative at the normal open position of the door for automatically reversing the direction of movement of the driven member, and means independent of the motor operation and responsive to a slight turning movement of said member in response to movement of said door manually out of closed position for closing a circuit through the driving motor, said means maintaining the circuit closed while the door is opening and closing,

said means also providing for opening of said circuit when the door is moved beyond its normal open position.

8. In a door actuating device for swinging a door relative to the door frame thereof, said device being positioned on one of said parts, said device comprising a driving motor, a driven member adapted to be connected to the other of said parts and operating through movement thereof for opening and closing said door, means operative at the normal open position of the door for automatically reversing the direction of the driven member, and means independent of the motor operation and responsive to a slight turning movement of said member in response to movement of said door manually out of closed position for closing a circuit through the driving motor, and for maintaining the circuit closed while the door is opening and closing, said means also providing for opening of said circuit when the door is moved beyond its normal open position, and being adjustable for controlling the extent of opening movement of the door.

9. In a door actuating device for swinging a door relative to the door frame thereof, said device being positioned on one of said parts, said device comprising a driving motor, a driven member adapted to be connected to the other of said parts and operating through movement thereof for opening and closing said door, means independent of the motor operation and responsive to a slight turning movement of said member in response to movement of said door manually out of closed position for closing a circuit through the driving motor, and for maintaining the circuit closed while the door is opening and closing, said means also providing for opening of said circuit when the door is moved beyond its normal open position, and being adjustable for controlling the extent of opening movement of the door, and other means responsive to a turning movement of said member when the door reaches normal open position for reversing the direction of movement of said driven member.

10. In a door actuating device for swinging a door relative to the door frame thereof, said device being positioned on one of said parts, said device comprising a driving motor, a driven member adapted to be connected to the other of said parts and operating through movement thereof for opening and closing said door, means independent of the motor operation and responsive to a slight movement of said member in response to movement of said door manually out of closed position for closing a circuit through the driving motor, and for maintaining the circuit closed while the door is opening and closing, said means also providing for opening of said circuit when the door is moved beyond its normal open position, and being adjustable for controlling the extent of opening movement of the door, and other means responsive to a turning movement of said member when the door reaches normal open position for reversing the direction of rotation of the driving motor.

11. In a door actuating device for swinging a door relative to the door frame thereof, said device comprising a driving motor mounted on the door, a driven member adapted to be connected to the door frame and operating through movement thereof for opening and closing said door, means responsive to a slight opening movement of the door from closed position for closing a circuit through the driving motor, said means maintaining the circuit closed while the door is opening and closing, and means responsive to a slight manual swinging movement of the door toward closed position during the normal opening movement of the door for reversing the direction of movement of said door.

12. In a door actuating device for swinging a door relative to the door frame thereof, said device comprising a driving motor mounted on the door, a driven member adapted to be connected to the door frame and operating through movement thereof for opening and closing said door, means responsive to a slight opening movement of the door from closed position for closing a circuit through the driving motor, said means maintaining the circuit closed while the door is opening and closing, and means responsive to a slight manual swinging movement of the door toward closed position during the normal opening movement of the door for reversing the direction of movement of said door, said means comprising an inertia-controlled switch for reversing the direction of rotation of said motor.

13. In an electrical door actuating device for opening and closing a door, a driving motor, a driven member actuated thereby for moving a door, an automatically operating clutch to provide for swinging movement of the driven member independently of the driving motor when the torque on the driving motor exceeds a predetermined amount, means responsive to swinging movement of said driven member for reversing the direction of rotation of the motor, a secondary switch for reversing the rotation of the motor, and inertia controlled means responsive to a slight manual swinging movement of the door during the normal movement of the door for shifting said switch to reverse the direction of movement of said door.

14. In an electrical door actuating device, a driving motor, a driven member actuated thereby for opening and closing a door, a driving connection between the motor and the driven member, an automatically operating clutch member to provide for swinging movement of the driven member independently of the driving motor when the torque on the driving motor exceeds a predetermined amount, means controlled by the position of said driven member for maintaining a circuit through the motor closed during normal swinging movement of the door, means operative at the normal open position of the door for automatically reversing the direction of movement of the driven member, and means responsive to a manual movement of the door beyond normal open position for opening the circuit through said motor, whereby the motor and the driving connection between said motor and driven member act as a brake to hold the door in full open position.

15. In an electrical door actuating device, a driving motor, a driven member actuated thereby for opening and closing a door, means controlled by the position of said driven member for maintaining a circuit through the motor closed during the normal swinging movement of the door, a reversing switch for the motor, means responsive to movement of said door into the normal open position for shifting said reversing switch to reverse the direction of movement of said door, means responsive to a movement of the door beyond the normal open position for opening the circuit through said motor, a switch by-passing said reversing switch, and temperature controlled means for closing said by-passing switch to provide for a swinging movement of the door into full open position during the opening movement of the door, whereby said door is opened and held in full open position.

CHARLES A. ELLIS. 

